“Mad Dog” is a direct variation of Africa Lunch second pitch. It is easier as it avoids the pumpy lie back at the top of Lunch but has its moments particularly for the “on-sight” lead. Needs a second ascent to confirm the grade at around 22.

30m or so: Climb the overhanging lie back crack of the start of the second pitch of Africa Lunch. At the second peg continue straight up past the next rail to the where Africa lunch moves right. Continue straight up using some mentally challenging flakes into the easy groove that leads directly to the fixed peg and nut rappel point.

First Ascent 16 February 2007. Charles Edelstein and Robert Breyer.

“Flaky Dog” 20?

Despite the lichen that plasters the second pitch of the climb, this route has the potential to become a classic if it is “climbed into condition”. So please help us out. It is a moderate 2 pitch route that involves classic sustained TM climbing on steep rock, with excellent pro. To my knowledge this kind of route has no peers on the ledge. Jacobs ladder and Atlantic Crag are a little easier and wander around a bit and everything else that is comparable is a quite a bit harder.

The route starts just to the right of the Africa Gullet crack on the upper Africa ledge.

Pitch 1 25m: Climb the face just to the right of Gullet’s crack to a cruxy section. (One can cheat by straddling across Gullet’s crack). Past this to a good rail. Rail right to steep juggy rock that leads you to a stance. Belay off the rap bolts.

Pitch 2 30m . Climb the “staggered crack” that diagonals up to the left to a grassy stance. Don’t stop here but rail easily left above Oddshouters crux and then up to a stance. Continue wandering easily to the top back to the rap anchors.

I first climbed that face more than 10 years ago around 1994 before I moved to Cape Town. But even then it was probably already climbed. Not sure what it is called. (Left face?). Also it is the pitch that Tristan Firman soloes in the movie Tea for Three.

I grade it 20 but onsight it would probably justify a grade of 21 as the rock is a little sketchy and it is also not a beginner's 20 when it comes to placing the pro.

Snort is right the route is a solid 20 and definitely not a beginners one. The flakes you climb are sketchy to say the least and worth a 21 I reckon!! Gear is interesting to place as the rails are shallow and the flakes hollow. Small cams are a must and a cool head is required.

It is called 'left face' and was 'opened' a year or two back, but as Snort says it is an obvious line and may well have been climbed before.

The route is actually called \"Left Hall\" - a reference to left wall of Dinas Cromlech, Llanberis, and the 1st ascentionist. There are in fact two lower pitches, but the best is definately the the top pitch.

I have not seen an official rd, but here goes...

1)The 1st pitch is a direct line beneath the right hand edge of the roof capping the 1st traverse ledge of Frasers, when viewed from below. {Actually quite nice}

2)The second pitch climbs the face/grotty corner from the big ledge (1st traverse ledge of Frasers) and ends nect to the tree at the final ledge from whence the final pitch climbs the face and roof-crack above.

The top pitch is a little sparse of gear in places, mostly small stuff (cams). The move thru the roof is very well protected by a wire in the crack...

Anthony or Simon (Larsen) should be able to supply a better rd, as well as the grade (I can't remember if Ant graded it 20 or 21).

Tristan is correct here. We graded it 20 (sustained 18 followed by thugish 20 move)

of course every old bally that's any old bally has climbed this back in their day and never bothered to write it up. Simon Larsen and I spent 2 mornings on the face wire-brushing it and levering off a dodgy flake (that definitly would come off soon and damaged someone) - to create a route that is now definitly worthy of write-up and further ascents.

An RD by Simon reads:

Left Hall – lower butresses – Table Mountain

Simon Larsen & Ant Hall 2005
Earlier ascents of this or similar lines have occurred but have not been written up. The route provides an nice straight line up steep rock. Unfortunatley while the second pitch provides fun climbing, the rock is rather vegitated. Hopefully more ascents will clean it up some what. The third pitch make up for it, with great moves on an exposed wall.

Start in obvious recess 10m right of the start of Fraser’s Frontal.
Pitch1 : 20m F2 Starting at the wide crack, climb straight up clean rock, crossing two ledges to a stance beneath a roof, 4m left of the first stance on Fraser’s
Pitch 2 : 40m F3 Climb up to the roof, passing it on the right. Climb approx. 10m up the (mossy) wall above to a ledge. Above & to the right is a small overhang capped by a nose. This nose can be passed on the either side but it’s more fun on the right. Climb diagonally right up the mossy wall until one reaches a prominent rail level with the 2nd stance of Frasers. Travers right to the same stance.
Pitch 3 : 35m G1 Above is a shallow scoop running up the centre of the obviuos flat wall. A third of the way up the wall is a prominent arrow head flake (more solid than it looks !) Start beneath the flake, climbing diagonally leftward for about 5m before moving rightwards up to the flake. Climb onto the flake & then straight up the scoop above on small holds. Some small Camalots – around C3 size 0 – are very useful for this section. The wall is topped by a roof split by a hanging open book. Pull strenously up this to the top.

Ant, did you search in the MCSA journals for the FA on this route? I hardly think you should write it up as your own. Secondly, I'm opposed to you guys wire brushing lichen off the routes. I dont know what everyone else thinks of this, but to me, it's the same as 'chipping' a route. TM is not a sport crag where you can clear every little tuft away.

Lastly, your 'guide' is way too descriptive here...and who the hell uses the olde letter grading system anymore? Dude, nowadays we have computers, email, airplanes and NUMBER grading. Your pitch 3 description is the funniest. I like the camalot suggestion [supposedly for an old classic TM line!] followed by the last line: \"Pull strenously up this to the top.\" Isnt most climbing strenuous?...and how do you grade 'strenuous'?

Perhaps, since there is a spark of interest in this route, the original ascentionist should be tracked down and the route written up as is correct to do. I had a similar situation on TM a few years back. I climbed this CLASSIC line. I named it 'Butthole Surfers'. I went back for two days and wire brushed the route. Levered off anything remotely loose, heck, I even chipped the one crack bigger so it would fit my new Aliens. I thought I'd found the most classic five star line ever on TM, so, I took a well know climber there to have a go. He said it was called \"Jacob's Ladder\" and was already a classic line...so, I decided to try and build a time machine and go back to just before Mike Mamacos topped out on it, where, I'd lever the top bollard off, wipe them out, and be able to claim 'Butthole Surfers' as my own. Still trying to build the dam machine tho.